Architecture Major

What is Architecture?

Architecture is one of the three classic disciplines, alongside medicine and law. It is a practice that blends artistic visualization, technical skill, and material realities. Architects integrate problem-solving strategies, critical thinking tactics, spatial acuity, aesthetic sensitivity, construction methodologies, cultural understandings, and social responsibilities. Architects are critical thinkers. They study complex needs, conditions, and criteria to imagine and propose places yet to exist. Architects are makers. They create, collaborate, and communicate through drawings, models, words, and images. Their work translates ideas into concepts and guides designs into built structures.

Why study Architecture at Drexel?

Drexel’s accredited Bachelor of Architecture degree program develops these attributes in students pursuing professional licensure or careers in related fields. Rigorous design studios, immersive academic coursework, and extended experiential learning opportunities prepare our students for lifelong careers shaping their built environments.

The National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) certifies Drexel’s professional Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.). The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) regulates Registered Architect (RA) licensure. Criteria include a professional architecture degree from an accredited school, such as Drexel, work experience through the Architecture Experience Program (AXP), and passing the Architectural Registration Exams (ARE). Students can opt to fulfill these requirements through Drexel's Integrated Pathway to Architectural Licensure (IPAL) program.

Early degree coursework includes principles and practices in architectural design, core university requirements, and skills development. Advanced coursework features design specializations, industry technologies, and professional preparation. Throughout, the program provides robust academic inquiry. The Drexel Advantage blends campus-based, hands-on learning with career-focused experience. This distinguishes Drexel’s Architecture Program from peer institutions. Because our students enrolled in the IPAL program may concurrently meet all three licensure criteria—the Bachelor of Architecture degree, work experience, and passing required licensure exams—they can graduate having completed all requirements for licensure.

Bachelor of Architecture at Drexel: Paths of Study

Beginning in Academic Year 2027-2028, Drexel will offer two options for newly enrolled students in its Bachelor of Architecture Degree: the 3+2 Option (3+2) and Part-Time Evening Option (PTE). Both options balance artistic inquiry with practical application, studio training with professional experience. A Drexel Bachelor of Architecture degree offers an alternative to traditional programs, where work in the discipline usually follows degree completion.

• The 3+2 Option* is designed for recent high school graduates. Students study full-time on campus for three years, then continue part-time evening coursework for the remaining two years. This enables students to accrue professional work experience as employees at local architecture and adjacent design practices. Information on 3+2 Option Admissions
• The Part-Time Evening Option is suitable for transfer students and others unable to pursue full-time studies during the day. PTE students take evening courses over six years, accruing professional experience along the way. Transfer students can reduce the length of their studies at Drexel University through transcript and portfolio reviews. Information on Transfer Admissions

*Beginning in Academic Year 2027-2028, the Bachelor of Architecture degree program will transition from a quarter system to semester-based system, as a part of Drexel University’s Academic Transformation. As a result, the NAAB-accredited degree 2+4 program track will transition to become the 3+2 program track, available only to newly enrolled students.

**For International Students: Our Bachelor of Architecture curricular structure cannot accommodate international students on J1 visas. Students with J1 visas are encouraged to apply to the Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies program.

Other Degree Paths in Architecture at Drexel

Architectural Studies is a four-year, full-time flexible pre-professional program. It combines architectural studies with adjacent fields of interest. Students build a comprehensive knowledge of the discipline, hone design skills, and expand their understanding of architecture. The Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies is not a NAAB-accredited degree. It can lead to a dual BS/MS degree at Drexel University or a first professional NAAB-accredited M.Arch degree at another institution.

What Skills Will You Learn in an Architecture Program?

Drexel Architecture students are:

• Curious, empathetic listeners
• Acute observers of the built environment
• Proficient makers and engaging collaborators
• Creative visualizers of design ideas
• Critical thinkers and problem solvers
• Willing learners who find success through iteration
• Sustainable design practitioners
• Committed to equitable and ethical practice

Bachelor of Architectural students:

• Intend to become a licensed architect
• Want to accelerate their path to licensure through early work experiences
• Want to accelerate their path to licensure through IPAL
• Want a rigorous, studio-based education in architecture
• Will be ready to integrate professional work with their education

Facilities for Architecture Majors

The Architecture program’s light-filled studios and primary teaching spaces sit high on the fourth floor of the URBN Center, Westphal’s state-of-the-art facility. These spaces are supplemented by lecture halls and fabrication shops in adjacent or nearby buildings. Students can access buildings and studios using their secure swipe card. The URBN Center’s ground-floor Hybrid Making Lab offers high-tech digital equipment, including 3D printers and laser cutters, as well as adjacent analog tools and equipment.

Students are required to have their own laptop, but several computer and photo labs offer additional support and access to specialized software and photography lighting. In-house printing services offer low-cost options for plotting and printing

Foundation-Level Architecture Studio students have a dedicated desk, complete with storage, tack board area, shelving, lighting, and a flat file drawer.

Career Opportunities with an Architecture Degree

Students with a Bachelor of Architecture from Drexel can pursue a wide range of careers across architecture, design, and construction industry settings. Beyond traditional paths, students can explore specializations and opportunities across geographic areas, building typologies, market segments, and scales.

Learn more about Drexel Architecture

Need help deciding which undergraduate Architecture degree is best for you? Want to tour the Architecture facilities at Drexel Westphal, or learn more about how our program prepares students for architecture careers? The Westphal Admissions team is available to answer questions, organize a tour, or connect you with faculty. Contact us at westphaladm@drexel.edu or 215.895.1738.

For more information on both B.Arch. pathways, visit the Drexel University 2027-2028 Undergraduate Architecture Catalog: Architecture BArch.

For more information on the Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies pathway, visit the Drexel University 2027-2028 Undergraduate Architecture Catalog: Architectural Studies.

NAAB Required Accreditation Information

In the United States, most registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit professional degree programs in architecture offered by institutions with U.S. regional accreditation, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted an eight-year term, an eight-year term with conditions, or a three-year term of initial accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established education standards.

Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a non-accredited undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the non-accredited degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

Drexel University, Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, Department of Architecture, Design & Urbanism offers the following NAAB-accredited degree program track(s):

• 2+4 Option: 6-year program (2 years full-time, 4 years part-time) 
  Bachelor of Architecture 
  227.0 undergraduate quarter-term credits
• Part-Time Evening Option: 7-year part-time program 
  Bachelor of Architecture 
  227.0 undergraduate quarter-term credits

Next accreditation visit: 2026 

Visit our page to review Drexel University's Architecture Program Accreditation Reports and Documents

Beginning in Academic Year 2027-2028 for newly enrolled students, Drexel University, Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, Department of Architecture, Design & Urbanism will offer the following degree programs:

• 3+2 Option: 5-year program (3 years full-time, 2 years part-time) 
  Bachelor of Architecture 
  151.0 undergraduate semester credits
• Part-Time Evening Option: 6-year part-time program 
  Bachelor of Architecture 
  151.0 undergraduate semester credits

Support the Architecture Program

UPDATED OCT2026 FOR 2027-2028 ACADEMIC YEAR (SEMESTERS)